Qualcomm takes on Google's Tensor with its first-ever AI chip
At the Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii, Qualcomm unveiled its cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile processor and the Snapdragon X Elite chip. These chips are crafted for the "generative AI" era, aiming to make AI the focal point of mobile and computing experiences. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon declared, "We're really entering the era of generative AI. It's a new age." The company's recent chipsets will drive high-end Android smartphones and PCs, ushering in a groundbreaking transformation in device usage.
Generative AI models on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is set to be Qualcomm's first chipset capable of running generative AI models on-device, akin to Google's Tensor 3 chipset that fuels the Pixel 8 series. Qualcomm claims it can generate images using Stable Diffusion in under a second. By integrating generative AI into it, AI will be ingrained at the heart of the user experience. This signifies a major departure from earlier AI experiences on smartphones, which were confined to photo editing and autocorrect.
On-device AI processing with Meta's Llama 2 models
During the event, Qualcomm showcased its utilization of Meta's open-source Llama 2 models to facilitate an intelligent virtual assistant. This strategy situates Qualcomm's processors to expedite AI workloads by executing large language models on phones rather than massive data centers. This could potentially lower the expenses of running AI models and contribute to the creation of superior AI-driven applications tailored for contemporary smartphones. Amon noted that there has been a surge in use cases, with hundreds now being recognized.
Snapdragon X Elite chip for PCs
With its new Snapdragon X Elite chip, Qualcomm is also aiming for the PC market, claiming it surpasses the swiftest laptop chips from Apple and Intel. The Elite X can dual-core boost up to 4.3GHz and provides up to double the performance compared to Intel i7 10-core and 12-core processor-powered laptops while using only a third of the power. The chip can execute AI models with up to 13 billion parameters locally, without depending on AI processing in the cloud.
AI as a key differentiator for Qualcomm
As the smartphone market plateaus, Qualcomm is relying on AI to invigorate sales of top-tier smartphones, benefiting both the chipset manufacturer and its OEMs like Xiaomi and OnePlus. Jon Erensen, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, stated, "Qualcomm sees AI, including on-device generative AI, as a key differentiator." Geoff Blaber, Chief Executive of CCS Insight, added that Qualcomm is assembling the pieces to enable large language models to run locally on the device and unlock the next wave of AI-led experiences."
